So OH MAN have I got some stuff to talk about today! I recently kicked off Fistful of Platinum, our first AL stream. I’m running Waterdeep: Dragon Heist for some awesome players and we’re using the Platinum Edition by Beadle & Grimm. The core information about the game is over on imgur (mostly because the server gnomes were in full revolt when I tried to post it here). Aside from a couple tech issues early on and the nerve-wracking 30 minute delay we had, the game seemed to go over REALLY well and everyone involved was pretty pumped! But why are we talking about it today? Well, the game serves a couple purposes: we wanted to demonstrate how a DM might run an AL game using the hardcover we wanted to play with a mix of theatre of the mind and tactical combat (I tend to swing towards the former) we wanted to mix live play with some educational moments we wanted to have a game that mixes props with shared storytelling In our first episode we saw trolls, Durnan, good ‘ol Volo, and more – and our players took it all in stride. The ever-honest Otter Thrud keeps inadvertently getting the party in trouble with the Watch, Agnus has a journal with 100 Rules of Roguery in it (and she cites them mid-game… because she actually wrote them down), Astrid just wants to hug everything as only a half-orc brawler can, and more shenanigans have begun to unfold. And let’s not forget the mysterious Picklewitz or the fashionista tiefling! And you know what? It’s organic! We’re not scripted outside of the fact that we’re running the hardcover adventure. This is a point that I think is especially important to broadcast as we embark upon this streaming journey – that we are normal gamers with day jobs and lives and kids and personal lives and all that jazz, and that D&D is a game and escape for us just the same as it is for so many others. Scripting just isn’t really part of the normal AL experience (though I suppose that a DM could work it out with their players to a certain extent). Agnus Copper Astrid Magpie Marcellus Otter Thrud Alan’s DM Screen We’ve got one episode down, and will be broadcasting our second episode on Saturday...

We’re well into season 8 with Waterdeep Dragon Heist and Dungeon of the Mad Mage, with many adventures released on top of the staggering amount of content contained in the hardcovers. And then there’s the stuff from the Guild Adepts, Eberron, and we even have a holiday-themed adventure coming out soon (as we recently chatted about on Adventurers Wanted). And you know what? Let’s be frank here: Despite the fact that the season is set to end on May 1, there’s just too much D&D. There. I said it: Too much D&D. Man, that’s weird to say. SO! We’re gonna kick the “end date” of season 8 back to August 31, 2019. This is a significant adjustment, and one that many players and DMs have asked for. With this, you can schedule your WDH and DMM games a little more casually and it greatly increases the chance of everyone being able to complete the DM Quests for this season. And y’know, it also means that we have a better opportunity to add some shiny fun stuff over the next few months, too. Current play estimations for season 8 are as follows: WDH. ~32 hours DMM. [if running every floor] ~120-160 hours DDAL08-00 through -18. ~80 hours DDEP08-01through -03. ~3 hours each Guild Adept content for WDH & DMM. still developing & releasing … and so on So if the average DM runs 4-6 hours a week for their group and never attends conventions or public events, this is approximately one (1) forever of game time. That’s… a lot. Like, a lot-a lot. The DM Quests were designed with the original release schedule in mind and some of the rewards included as an incentive to use the materials sooner rather than later; suffice it to say, not only are DM Quests much more likely to be achieved now, but we’ll also be looking at reward scaling in the future. If you’ve got suggestions for potential Quests and Quest rewards in future seasons, feel free to send us a message through the Contact Us form on the...

HOLY. CATS. Man, it’s been crazy these last couple weeks. Thanks for bearing with us while we sorted through the massive pile of player, DM, store, event organizer, and general community feedback. People are super passionate about Dungeons & Dragons, and we’re appreciative of every comment that came through – and although some could have been better stated, nearly all of them contained at least a nugget of...

The factions – Emerald Enclave, Harpers, Lords’ Alliance, Order of the Gauntlet, and the Zhentarim – have been a part of Forgotten Realms lore and the Adventurers League since basically the beginning. These organizations play a part in the world’s functions, but often as supportive elements; rarely are they on the forefront of global events en masse. Sure, there are incidents that the Harpers have guided (lookin’ at you, Elminster)...

So there’s been a LOT of conversation and buzz lately about the flurry of announcements that we’ve made regarding the future of the D&D Adventurers League. We’ve got rules changes, new content for Dragon Heist and Dungeon of the Mad Mage, the sudden appearance of Eberron-based organized play, WHEW! I’ll be honest, the last couple weeks have been crazy. The AL news, some real life drama (“real...

HI! It’s been a crazy week. I wish I could talk all about it, but let’s face it: you’re not here to read about my adventures in machine learning, Linux infrastructure automation, and a little thing I call Project Eclipse (in which I blot out the Sun… servers in my datacenter). Instead, I have this sneaking suspicion that you want to hear some fresh-out-the-kitchen Dungeons & Dragons Adventurers League news....

Volo’s Guide to Monsters. It’s a catalog of creatures that some might consider strange, mythological, or downright legendary. A small number of them have been approved for player use, and when the book launched we – the admins, Matt Sernett, Chris Lindsay, and others – worked together to create some narrative-driven reasons for those monstrous races to exist in the world of the Forgotten Realms, and more specifically in...

You know what I really don’t like when I run games? Piles of documentation. I want to tell stories. Awesome stories, full of player interactions and epic decisions and stupendous events that defy description outside of “HOLY CATS THAT WAS AWESOME!” And you know what? Our current documentation is not really conducive to meeting this goal. I love being able to direct new players and DMs to the Player’s Pack and...